Chapter Nine:

What Comes Around

Joey let the knife and frying pan fall from his hands before launching himself over the back of the couch, tackling a highly unaware Seto and scaring the shit out of him. "Seto! Thank God you're okay! Where were you? Why'd you leave school?"

The startled CEO looked over at his frantic lover strangely. "I have better things to do then sit through classes that I could just as well teach," he replied.

"You didn't call Mokuba or leave me a note or tell me!" Joey let go of the teenager and punched him. "You idiot! You had me and Mokuba worried sick! We thought something happened!"

Seto held his jaw, sapphire eyes dancing dangerously. "Stop being so histrionic, Joey. Nobody in their right mind would try to touch me."

"Nii-san!" Mokuba dropped his butcher knife and jumped at Seto in the same manner Joey had, latching onto the brunet's neck.

"Ugh! Both of you stop it! I'm obviously in one piece and still living!"

"What's with all the messes?" Joey asked, letting go of his love somewhat reluctantly.

Seto raised an eyebrow. "The mess in my work room is from this," he answered, holding up a smaller, less bulky version of the duel disk system. "The mess in our room, if you remember, is from your frantic dash out the door this morning."

"...It is?" Joey made a face. "Oh yeah! We were late for school today, weren't we?" The seventeen-year-old looked highly sheepish. "I kinda forgot everything before the, um, ride to school."

Mokuba watched with partial interest as his brother turned beet red, his eyes turning to the floor as he bit his lip to hide a grin. "And you wonder why I like to walk to school," the twelve-year-old muttered.

"Ototou-chan!" Seto growled. "Get your mind out the gutter."

Mokuba smirked. "What do you expect me to say when I'm up at three in the morning while other members of the house won't shut up."

Joey blushed brighter, finding the seams of Seto's shirt incredibly interesting. "You... shouldn't be up that late," he muttered.

"How do you expect me to sleep when you're screwing my brother senseless?!"

"MOKUBA!" Seto and Joey yelped, glaring at the highly amused pre-teen caustically. "You're twelve. You shouldn't be talking like that," the former admonished.

Mokuba just shrugged, still smirking as he sat back. "I have mature friends. Of course I'm going to know more then your average eighth grader."

Joey sighed and rested his forehead on Seto's shoulder. "I think we've hopelessly corrupted your little brother," he pointed out.

"I think so-" Seto was cut off when his cell phone rang. "Ugh, great." The eighteen-year-old flipped it open. "Kaiba here."

"Hello Seto. It's Ishizu."

Joey raised an eyebrow. "Ishizu Ishtar? What's she want?" he whispered.

Seto made a shushing motion. "I'm busy, Ishtar. Unless you have something of importance to tell me, I have a business to run."

"And puppy boyfriends to-" Mokuba yelped when Joey launched at him, covering his mouth. He bit down on a finger hard, earning a growl from the older blond.

"Stop it, shrimp!"

Seto whacked them both.

There was a sigh and a sneeze from Ishizu. "I believe it would be better for you to come down to the museum," she stated. "I have a feeling you and your loved ones are in danger."

Seto's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"You would have to see it to believe it, Seto. If you're interested, you know where to find me." Ishizu coughed. "You're welcome to bring Mokuba and Joey as well. This does concern them."

That caught Seto's attention fastly. How can she know about me and Joey? "Care to tell me how you know about Wheeler?" he barked.

Ishizu laughed. "There's no magic or Millennium Items involved in that one. I heard him and Mokuba fighting a second ago."

"Figures. I'll think about it," Seto replied before hanging up. He placed his cell phone down on the coffee table before him, pinching the bridge of his nose. The dream that he had so carefully shelved started to creep up on his consciousness, clenching his heart tightly.

"So, what did she want?" Joey asked, glowering at Mokuba.

"Ishizu says she has ground breaking news for me that involves you two," Seto replied, trying to stave off the dream. "Another proclamation of doom."

"Maybe you should pay her a visit. I mean, she was right about Battle City," Joey stated, leaning forward.

"She's just going to tell me that something's threatening the world and the three of us will die if we don't do something about it."

Mokuba huffed. "We don't go away that easily. Well, Joey would, but I won't."

"Oh c'mon! Have faith in me, dear friend," Joey shot back gallantly. "I won't die. I can't die!"

Seto froze. "Joey... Say that again?"

"What?"

Seto shook his head, burying it in his hands. Impossible. The shaken CEO looked over at his lover, sapphire eyes searching. My Joey and the duelist from my dream look so much alike. Is it possible that this challenger I faced in the past is Joey?

"What's wrong, Seto?" Joey asked, noticing the older teen's sudden depression. "Is there something wrong?"

Seto sighed. "I think we're going to go pay Ishizu a visit," he muttered, getting to his feet.

Joey's shoulders slumped. "I can't go. I said I'd meet Tristan and Duke at the arcade in a half hour," he explained. "I'm sorry."

"No, that's okay. I'll let you know what this week's Armageddon'll be." Seto managed a smile. "You going to come, Mokuba?"

"I guess so. Have fun, Joey!" the younger Kaiba replied. "Just let me get into something more comfortable then this stupid uniform.

Seto chuckled and nodded, watching as his kid brother ran up to his room. He brushed his hair out of his eyes, meeting Joey's squarely.

"Are you sure nothing's wrong?"

Seto pulled the blond into a hug, kissing his hair lightly. "I'll explain once things fall into perspective for me, puppy. I promise."

Joey sighed, balancing on his tiptoes to plant a kiss on his lover's nose. "I'll hold you to that," he joked. "Now, before we go any further, I have to go."

Seto pouted as Joey headed out of the room. "You gonna sleep here tonight?"

The blond American turned around, a mischievous grin playing over his lips. "I'll be here tonight. Can't say I'll be sleeping, but yeah, I'll be back by nine."

Seto smiled. "Be careful, Joey. Ashiteru."

Joey grinned. "I won't and whatever you said." That said, he left Seto alone with nothing but his plagued thoughts.

* * * *

Yami watched with a slight grin as he watched the verbal tennis match going on between Bakura and Ryou as he tried to piece together what had caused the fight to begin with.

"I'm not doing it!" Ryou growled.

"It's for the team!"

"Screw the team."

"Your thinking's on the right track. But, we're aiming at Malik, not the team."

"...BAKURA!"

"What? It's the easiest way to get the Ring back!"

"I-I-I-I-I-"

"Me, me, me! It's always about you!"

"Shut up, yami! I am not going through with your scatterbrained plan!"

"Hikari, it's only long enough to get our Item back."

"Then steal the damn thing!"

"But that's no fun!"

"I thought you liked stealing things."

"True. But, it'd be more amusing trying to watch you seduce Malik for the Ring."

Yami's jaw dropped open and he fell into a fit of lung bursting hysterics. "You want... Ryou to-s-seduce... M-Malik?!"

Bakura looked over at the Pharaoh strangely. "Uh yeah, that's the general idea," he replied slowly.

Ryou growled. "I'm not seducing anyone for anything! If you want the Ring, find another way to do it!" he stated angrily.

"What other ways are there?"

"Send him to the Shadow Realm, kill him, steal the Ring from him then kill him... Do all of the above for all I care! But the plans do not include myself dating Malik!" The Brit crossed his arms.

"But-"

"But nothing, tomb robber. You want someone to seduce Malik, you go and do it!"

Bakura stuffed his hands in his pockets. "You're the pretty boy, not me."

"'Pretty boy'?" Ryou's glared at Bakura darker then the Egyptian could ever hope to, his teeth grit in frustration. "Get this through your rotting cranium, Bakura. I AM NOT-"

"Technically, it's not you dating Malik," Yami pointed out, having quieted down in the face of Ryou's imminent melt down.

"What in the hell do you mean?" Ryou snarled, turning his flaming brown eyes on the Pharaoh.

Bakura raised an eyebrow, a stray thought smacking him broadside. Ryou wouldn't get so angry about something like this. I mean, sure, it's unethical, but he would still go for it to get the Ring back. That he's so pissed off could only mean one thing. "You like Malik, don't you?"

Ryou suddenly froze, his eyes narrowing. "What are you asking?" he grit out, turning to face the snow haired thief slowly.

"You heard me, hikari. Do you like Malik?" Bakura replied.

The sixteen-year-old's eyes now held an edge of desperation. "Why in the hell would I like the same madman that killed me?!"

Yami sighed. It's easy Ryou. I love the same thief that tried to kill me several times. The former Pharaoh approached Ryou, resting his hands on his shoulders and steering towards a side corridor. "Bakura, stay here."

The thief heard the edge in the other Spirit's voice and decided to just sit down and follow orders for once.

"So, Yami no Yugi, what do you want?" Ryou asked once they were safely out of earshot.

"Why did you get so mad over Bakura's suggestion?" Yami asked, being straightforward.

The Brit looked down at the floor, as if they held some secret answer for him to behold. "Because it's an idiotic and half-baked plan."

"Ryou, you can be honest with me. I won't laugh, I promise. Do you love Malik?" Yami prodded, trying his best to be tactful lest Ryou remove his head from his shoulders.

"I... No... Yes- No! Ugh! Kind of," Ryou reluctantly admitted. "I-I've felt attracted to him since we first met at Battle City." He looked up, semi-sheepishly. "I mean, it wasn't a "love at first sight" type of attraction. It was more like... I don't know, destiny was trying to bring us together."

Yami nodded, a small smile cross his features. "I know that feeling, Ryou." His amethyst eyes searched his charge's. Now, to get the bottom of this whole thing. "Do you still love him, even after what he did?"

Oh great. "I know it... wasn't Malik that did it." Ryou bit his lip. "Like me and Yugi, Malik has a dark side. But, Marik-"

Yami looked highly interested. His former lover had known his name when he had been reawakened. Was it possible that the being that possessed Malik held more knowledge then first expected? "Who named Malik's darker half?"

"I think it was his sister. Something about the Rod's guardian twisting the name of a warrior or some such thing like that," Ryou replied.

Yami was taken aback. "Malik's dark half is… a guardian?"

Ryou nodded. "He doesn't knows where he came from, but has bits of memory of Egypt like you do. Malik told me one night that Marik made himself known when your memory was inscribed in his back."

"This Spirit is the split personality I destroyed then?"

"No. Malik also told me that he felt a dark presence residing within him since he discovered the Millennium Rod, which his father guarded. Marik only made himself known at the time of the ceremony because it was an opportune time."

Yami sighed. "So this Spirit, Marik, is what killed you?"

"That's the long and short of it. Malik tried several times to help Bakura and me. I don't know if it was an act of rebellion against his yami or an act of caring."

"In a time such as Battle City, it's hard to tell where people's hearts lie." Yami rested hand on Ryou's shoulder. "Maybe it would be a good idea to seek Malik out."

"Why?"

"Not to regain the Ring. But, to answer your question. Does Malik care for you or does he just see you as a pawn?"

Ryou looked at the former Pharaoh, narrow eyed. "You're talking like you've been through his before."

Yami chuckled. "I did, long ago in Egypt." The Egyptian smirked. "But, let's not get into a history lesson. Do you want to seek Malik out?"

Ryou nodded. "Yeah, I guess I do. If he feels the same way I do still, I think he'll give me the Ring back. If not, I'll just have to take it by force."

"You're talking like me again!"

Ryou's eyes widened and he turned to see an amused looking Bakura standing not three feet from where he and Yami stood. "YOU STUPID TOMB ROBBER!" he screamed.

Bakura grinned. "I think this is my cue to run."

Yami shook his head as light and dark tore out of the area. Hopefully, things will play out the way Ryou wants them to. If not, I think we're all in a lot of trouble.

I'm sorry for the delay guys. ) I have no excuse this time except that my life's going to shit and my Mom's got pneumonia. [sighs] Life is lovely. [rolls eyes]

Evaru: I'm not fucking lazy! I'm… going for my master's degree in procrastination! Yeah… er, something like that. Oh, I'm giving out complementary scythes to dice Marik up with? Want one?

Sailor Comet: Don't worry 'bout it. [snickers] I'm outta school for the summer now and I haven't had a second of peace. [chibi eyes] You do my spring cleaning and I'll do your school work? ^)^

Animegirl: Damn. Grounded for writing yaoi. [shutters] I'd die without my precious computer… and my yaoi. [hugs computer and crate of lemons] My preciousssssssssss! But, if you need someone to talk to, my e-mail addy's on the bio page. ^)^

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Chapter Ten Trailer:

Bakura growled and grabbed the Pharaoh's hair, pulling him down to his level before pushing his lips against Yami's. This effectively stopped the Egyptian's thrashing session.

"Oh dear God..." Tristan muttered.

Yami pulled away from Bakura, stunned into speechlessness. His amethyst eyes were wide as saucers as he touched his lips. He kissed me.

Bakura, being the more sensible one present, looked over the Pharaoh's shoulder to see the others staring at the two Spirits, on the verge of cardiac arrest by the looks of it. "Um Yami?"

"Yeah Bakura?"

THUD!

Bakura and Yami glanced over to see Tristan had fainted dead away before looking at each other guiltily, the thief slowly getting off the Pharaoh.

Joey was dead pale, as he hung onto Duke to stay upright. "Guys... I think you owe us an explanation..."

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